Plotting the Sequel to Prometheus

While it hit theaters to a mixed reception this summer, there’s definitely a lot of Prometheus fans out there who would certainly love to see more.

And there are indeed plans for a sequel but screenwriter Damon Lindelof unfortunately won’t be onboard because he won’t have time to create the next terrifying universe for Ridley Scott to explore.

Lindelof is part of what we call “Team Abrams” here on TG, which means he’s one of JJ Abrams’s trusted screenwriters. Lindelof started out working with Abrams on Lost, and he also created its video game, Lost: Via Domus.

In addition, he co-wrote the script for Cowboys and Aliens, as well as the upcoming Star Trek Into Darkness, along with two other trusted Abrams writers, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman. In addition to those projects, Lindelof has penned a top secret sci-fi project, 1952, that will be directed by Brad Bird, and he also recently performed an emergency rewrite on World War Z.

Lindelof was the second writer aboard Prometheus, taking the original concept much further than the planned prequel to Alien, and making the story more of its own movie. Lindelof told Collider he did meet with Ridley Scott after Prometheus came out to discuss where the journey could go further down the road, but apparently, Lindelof is only comfortable working on one project at a time.

Jon Spaihts was the first writer on Prometheus, and Lindelof spent a year reworking the script. "The idea of building a sequel to it – from the ground up this time – with Ridley is tremendously exciting,” Lindelof said. "But at the same time, I was like, ‘Well that’s probably going to be two years of my life.’ I can’t do what JJ does. I don’t have the capability. I can only be working on one thing at a time."

Collider also notes that while there isn’t a projected release date for a Prometheus sequel, word on the street has it “the sequel is a priority for the studio.”

Hopefully there will indeed be more Prometheus tales in the future because it does indeed have a enthusiastic following so far, and as Lindelof continued:

“I think that the movie ended in a very specific way that hinted at, or strongly implied that there were going to be continuing adventures worthy of writing stories. The sequel to this movie is not Alien. The sequel to this movie is this other thing.”